A day after the release of his third studio album, 2014 Forest Hills Drive, J. Cole gives a poignant performance on the Late Show with David Letterman. However he made no mention of his album release and performed a song that isn’t even on the album, Be Free, with a new verse.

The original version of Be Free was released on SoundCloud six days after the shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri on August 9th. The following message accompanied:

Rest in Peace to Michael Brown and to every young black man murdered in America, whether by the hands of white or black. I pray that one day the world will be filled with peace and rid of injustice. Only then will we all Be Free – Cole.

Watch the passionate and authentic emotion that J. Cole infuses into his performance, below: